[Miscellaneous] Armchair BEA 2015 – Day 1: Introductions

Miscellaneous is the tagline to store random posts that don’t really belong elsewhere. They may involve tags, awards, challenges, and other book blogging nonsense.

What’s Miscellaneous Today?Armchair BEA 2015 — Day 1: Introductions

What is it?

Armchair BEA takes the essence of Book Expo America without actually being at the convention and makes the experience virtual. It’s hosted over at http://www.armchairbea.com from May 26-31 and the theme for 2015 isDiversity. Use the hashtag #ArmchairBEA on twitter to keep up-to-date.

Thoughts:

This will be my first time attending anything BEA-related! I’m actually in no rush to really check off BEA con-going from my bucket-list but it’s something that I’m sure all book bloggers wish to do in the future. Anyhow, let’s just move on to the bulk of this post!

Introduction Questionnaire

There was a series of questions to choose from to answer.

Tell us a bit about yourself: How long have you been blogging? Where are you from? How did you get into blogging?

I’m just some random Canadian (from Toronto without living in Toronto) with many bad ideas that need to be shared. I’ve been blogging for a year and a half (ish) and was convinced to start this journey on two fronts: 1 – I enjoyed the idea of having an outlet for nonsensical fiction-related rants; and, 2 – I found out that my high school pal, Savindi @ Streetlight Reader, was (and still is) part of the community.

What does diversity mean to you?

A genuine celebration of difference without the fanfare—it should really be a non-issue that you can just be like “okay, so how about lunch?” Earth isn’t there yet, unfortunately, but the labels used today for accessible understanding is a necessary stepping stone to get to that point.

Share your favorite blog post on your blog.

My favourite review is probably the deconstruction on why I didn’t enjoy E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars. I’m super negative in it but it is what it is.

What book are you most looking forward to reading this summer?

My life will edge closer to completeness if I can get a copy of the U.K. release of The Rest of Us Just Live Here (Patrick Ness). I’ll probably end up getting both NA/UK covers though. (Of course I had to include Ness. It is necessary. I promote the necessary.)

Here’s a blurb to pique your interest if you haven’t heard of it #plugplugplug:

What if you’re not the one who’s so often the hero in YA fiction; who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death? What if you were like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again. Because sometimes there are problems bigger than this week’s end of the world and sometimes you just have to find the extraordinary in your ordinary life. Even if your best friend might just be the God of mountain lions…

What is your theme song?

This is probably subject to change every hour (most of them are EDM-y). For now it’s probably Tritonal & Cash Cash – Untouchable …? I haven’t even caught up on Eurovision 2015 though so this could be different if you ask me in 20 minutes.

Afterthoughts:

If you haven’t participated in this before, you should consider joining me in this experience of being a complete noob.

Aside from #ArmchairBEA, you can join in on the conversation at #BEASupportGroup haha.

This is great! I had no idea this was happening.
I think I started blogging around the same time as you. You’re obviously doing a better job of maintaining your blog than I am.

I had no idea people in other continents liked Eurovision. I used to watch that when I was little. U.K always lost, it used to be very disappointing. Until I stopped watching. I think if the country loses twice, its no longer allowed to compete. I’m not even sure if that’s correct. It’s been a long time since I last saw it.

Oh now I’m feeling nostalgic. I’ve already missed it this year, I hope I can watch it next year with my family.

P.s. Can’t wait for Rest of us-sounds great. AND Go set a watchman, can you believe its 55 years later! And the manuscript was lost and discovered only last year.
Whats great is, it’s not a book that a specific group will be looking forward e.g. teenagers, or avid readers. Most people have heard of To Kill a Mockingbird, even if they don’t read books, they might have read TKAM in school.

The measure of success in blogging is really in what you want to achieve (but it really knows no limit). You should totally join in on this online BEA fun (even if I’m not as proactive as I’d like to be with it haha).

Eurovision is good fun! I mainly only follow the clips that are put online. I don’t actually watch it live haha. I would if I could though. (You should follow-up retrospectively with this years competition then let me know your thoughts on the winner! I think losing countries get relegated and then there’s a process there-in to get back in. But yeah, it’s neat to see countries with minimal exposure win–like when Azerbaijan won in 2011!). That’s cool that you’ve watched it with your family. Is it a super huge thing where you live where people are devout viewers?

But yeah, the sequel to TKAM is definitely a book many readers are excited about (myself not included–mainly because I haven’t read the first one, oops.)

Yeah, I hope I get time to do it. I really want to participate in it before its over.

I remember it used to be fun to watch Eurovision live. But then I’d talk to my friends or classmates about it and no one seemed interested lol.
TV presenters always made a big deal about Eurovision. To me it seemed as though other European counties were more into it than UK.
I dont know any devout viewers. Not sure if we have any. We might do.
I think most Brits are hard core fans of football or X Factor, but again I dont know anyone that watches these shows either ha!

I havent read TKAM either, I really want to though. It’s currently on my bookshelf, has been waiting patiently for many years.
I think I’m excited for it because, it was rediscovered only last year, missing for so so so long. Did someone steal the manuscript? Was someone hiding it? It’s a mystery! LOL
I dont know, its my mind-I can’t stop thinking about stories.

I should’ve joined this. I felt left out last year, and forgot about it this year. Blogger fail.

You know you’re most excited to read RED QUEEN this summer…come on now. 😉

You’re so good at blogging that I can’t believe you’ve only been at it for a year and a half. Your rants are epic and on behalf of the blogging community, I thank you for sharing yourself with us.

Have I told you I’ve been to Toronto? Once. For work. About 5 years ago. We have an office in Markham, and a group of us decided to go into Toronto one night to do a little sight-seeing, go to a karaoke bar. I remember singing Journey and that I experienced my first ride on a subway ever. And that’s about it.

MAYBE I AM MOST EXCITED TO READ RED QUEEN. I’m even more excited by the prospect that I’d enjoy it (or not?)

Oh stop it. There’s no good/bad way to blog! I’m just happy that there are readers who take time to question what they’re reading.

And I actually lived in Markham for most of my life. Well, I kind of still do. I moved to the next township over but it’s still very close to proximity. Haha, sounds like you had a fun adventure in Toronto (even if the rest of us in Toronto think the city is only so-so when compared to what other cities in the world offer).

Small world (about Markham)! My old boss used to work in the Markham office for several years and lived in downtown Toronto. He loved the city and was obsessed with the hockey team. I’ve only been to 2 major cities in my life (Chicago & Toronto). Now, Chicago is awesome – you should visit there.

ARE YOU TELLING ME I HAVE ACCESS TO MARIJUANA COOKIES IN MY HOMETOWN???

Oops, the world knows.

And yes, I know some online gamer friends who live in Chicago. Definitely a bucket list travel destination too. (Which is kind of unfortunate since one of my high school band trips was to Chicago–but I didn’t take part in it.)

A lady from my local Waterstones actually has an ARC of the new Patrick Ness book. She offered to lend to it me but I think I’m going to pass since I’m a tad scared I won’t be reading the final perfected version . . . but who knows: maybe I’ll cave in?

Dang, that’s pretty awesome! I understand the feels of potential changes to the final copy that could happen, but damn, why don’t I live over there to borrow it from you haha (which surely would only take a day to read).

Welcome to ABEA! 🙂 Hope you have a blast this week~
I can’t wait to start The Rest of Us Just Live Here too (I got an earc from edelweiss), but I’m scared that reading it will take away from exams this week and next. ; n ; Alas, school.

Happy Armchair BEA! This is my first year too. I just want to say I’m so jealous you live in Canada (I really like Canada because of this tv show…). 🙂 I can’t believe you’ve only been blogging for a year, your posts are just so well done. Which just means you’re a good writer. :)s

Ooh, negative review of We Were Liars, I’m scared to read it, haha.

The Rest of Us Just Live Here sounds so so so fantastic! I love how it’s about an ordinary guy (hopefully) who is just trying to live his regular life. Hope you the rest of ABEA.

High five for ABEA noobs 😀 I am enjoying the way you write about things so I might have to read the rest of your blog. That’s super random that you like Eurovision though.. My friends and I had a Eurovision party and it was good. Weird that Australia were in it though..
Anyway, happy BEA 🙂

EDM is what I usually reach for so I guess that’s why I enjoy the concept of Eurovision haha. Plus the fact that all these awesome tunes brings people of the world together (yes, even Australia) to share their love of music!